Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 45966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Like Hallmark.
Stuff you’d seen in a holiday rom-com movie.
Even with that, I didn’t give a shit.
I ate it like my cold holiday heart had grown three inches.
I watched the way her lips moved with each giggle that left her mouth.
I watched the way her body leaned into mine with each second that passed.
I watched the way I made her smile.
Laugh.
Blush.
“You’re a great guy. You know that, right?”
“Verdict’s still out on me,” I remarked.
She was glowing.
Radiant.
Bright, shining, stunning.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“How am I looking at you?”
“Like you’ve never seen a girl before.”
“Not one like you.”
She blushed again.
“You’re a relentless flirt. You know that too, right?”
I grinned. “Only with you.”
“You always know the right things to say.”
“Well, you bring out the best in me.”
“Is that so?”
“It most certainly is.”
“You know my mom warmed me about boys like you.”
Despite Noelle’s mom passing away unexpectedly, I liked that she always talked about her. It was almost like it made her feel closer to her or something. I enjoyed hearing their stories. It was obvious she was a good mom. She kind of reminded me of my own.
“Want to see the best view in the town?” I asked, standing and then reaching down for her.
“Of course.” She grabbed my hand, and I easily lifted her.
“You afraid of heights?”
“No. Why, is it not safe?”
“For the most part.”
“Nic—”
“I’m joking. You’ll be fine, I promise.”
We hiked up the hill for the next thirty minutes until her nervousness subsided, and she saw the view ahead. You could see the entire town from up there, and it looked exactly as if it were a winter wonderland postcard in real life. I watched her take it in for the first time as if I was experiencing it that way even though it was probably one of my favorite spots.
I went there often, especially when I needed to think. It was a great place to be alone. Not many people knew about it, and I wanted to keep it that way. It felt like our town always belonged to random tourists coming in and out.
She grabbed my arm, leaning her head against my shoulder, and we stayed there for a long time in silence. No words were needed between us.
It was already written in the sky and Christmas lights.
CHAPTER 11
NOELLE: NOW
After I tended to the puppy I still hadn’t named, I placed him back in his crate, and he went right to sleep. He seemed to feel more at home in Nicholas’s house, which I noticed immediately when he made himself at home as if he wanted to live there instead.
In one breath, Nicholas professed, “I hope one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me. If I could go back, just know… I’d do things differently.”
I tried to find my bearings as he untied the ribbon around my wrists, having to move away from him. Now it was my turn to stay silent, not knowing what to say or how to say it.
To my surprise, he broke the silence between us, adding, “For the first time in my life, I’m contemplating if I went in the right direction.”
“Because of your inheritance?”
“Because of you.”
I swallowed hard, listening to every word he was openly sharing. Nicholas always spoke his mind, but this was still new and different. We never talked about our feelings in this way. Despite the number of mistletoe kisses we shared, it didn’t change our friendship for one second.
If anything, we grew closer, but in our friendship.
“What I love about fixing and building homes is I don’t have to be anything for anyone.”
I didn’t make a sound.
“I did what came naturally to me, and I knew it was the only way I’d ever get out from under my father’s thumb. I wanted to prove to him that I didn’t need him like everyone in this town does. That I could stand on my own without his money, his influence, and all of the important people he knows. It’s why I lived and breathed my business since I left here, Elle. It was never personal. I swear it.”
“But you still left me and now you’re back and not only are you the owner of the town I love, you’re also technically my new boss. Do you have any idea how hard that is for me? Did you ever stop to think about me for one second?”
“I was a kid,” he stressed. “Come on, cut me some slack. If I had been in the mindset I am now, I would never have done that. The last thing I wanted was for you to feel like you or our friendship never mattered to me.”
Standing my ground, I explained, “You’re acting like nothing’s changed when everything has, and now we’ve added whatever the fuck we just did into the mix.”